Gato Negro 2009 Cabernet-Merlot

July 29, 2010 •

Price: Around $4

Color: Dark cherry red

Nose: Blackberries

Taste: Smooth and round with good fruit flavor. Â Nicely jammy.

Summary: Feels like this week has been my recession wine tasting week. Â Two wines in the $5 class. Â The Xplorador and now the Gato Negro blend. Â But with Chilean wines, you can’t let the price fool you. Â Good wine does not have to be pricey. Â This Gato Negro proves that saying, with good flavor coming in at $4.00.

12 Comments - Add Comment

Shelley. blohmAugust 15, 2010

I am a woman that buys this wine by the dozen @Henry’s market in burbank CA…. my first wine I ever tried was a Chilean wine 30 years ago with a Chilean family been hooked ever since by a great wines from your country. . Was 16 when I tried wine yummm! !! Thanks for making it economical… my friends are now in love! !
Shelley blohm

RogerFebruary 19, 2011

Great review, Gato Negro reds are among the best cheap wines in existence. My fave is the Cabernet Sauvignon and this Cab/Merlot meritage is a close second. The merlot is nice too. The malbec is, well, a malbec (from Argentina). The whites are tasty as well. And for 4 bucks a bottle at Newflower market in East Dallas, you can drink it with careless abandon! Better than a lot of $12-$15 wines.

Boris at Chilean-Wine.comFebruary 19, 2011

Roger. I would have to agree with you. ViÃ±a San Pedro, which produces the Gato Negro line is an amazing producer. Last time I was in Chile I tried a “budget” white blend from them that costs about $3.00 USD equivalent in Chile. It kicked my ass. It was a beautiful and delicious blend. Next time I visit Chile, ViÃ±a San Pedro is on my agenda. I plan to spend at least a day there. Here in the Los Angeles area you can pick up Gato Negro at Sprouts or Jons markets for $4. Sometimes less when they have a sale.

Peter RogersDecember 7, 2011

Peter I cannot disagree with you more. I hate Gato Negro wine (at least the cavernet-merlot one) I do not know if it is the Merlot mix in it but I really dislike this wine, when I have bought it or somebody has given it to me as a gift I have not been able to finish even the first glass. There is a Carbernet Sauvignon from California that they sell at Wallmart for $2.50 a bottle which is a hell of a lot better, and I am not kidding or exagerating.

Boris at Chilean-Wine.comDecember 7, 2011

Thanks for your comment Peter. At this price point it is possible that you may get a not-so great wine on occasion. Gato Negro does however have a reputation as being fairly consistent at the price point they sell at. As with all wine, taste is in the palate of the taster! Hope you find a great Chilean wine soon!

andriaDecember 2, 2012

I just LOVE Gato Negro wines! I’ve only been able to try a few varieties (I’m in Canada) but very happy with them =] Good flavour, not too sweet & a great price you can afford to share with all your friends—I’ve fooled some of my wine snob friends with this stuff, they can’t believe its an $8 (again, I’m in Canada) bottle of wine that is just as good as some of the $25 bottles! Haven’t seen the Cab/Merlot blend here but I’d love to try it.

Grunty LeeDecember 11, 2012

Hmm. I have been buying (and drinking) this in the UAE and have been pleasantly surprised how “round” it tastes. Not too dry and harsh like some of the other (French) wines I have tried. I usually like to have it with a nice, salty mutton or lamb kebab. Glad to see that other people like it, too. Here, it costs about $US8. Just as a side note, I like whites but very few of the stores sell white wine pre-chilled and I hate having to dash home and rush chill it in the freezer. Hence the reds. But Gato Negro Merlot is pretty darn good in my humble opinion.

Can anybody tell me how much is a 1981 Gato Negro worth?
Produced by Vina San Pedro – Santiago, Chile

Boris at Chilean-Wine.comJune 4, 2013

Hi Dingle. The answer to your question is probably not too much. Gato Negro wine is not made for cellaring purposes. It should be drank while still young (the same year of purchase). When a wine is not made for cellaring/aging, it may improve in some cases over the next couple of years, but usually begins to deteriorate after three or more years.

I’m currently drinking the 2012 Cab/Merlot blend which is a really nice tasting wine. We buy the big bottle for $7.99 here in Tenn, which is a really good price. This wine is not too dry or harsh and goes down very smooth. It has a nice rich fruity taste to it. I know it sounds strange but this wine tastes great at both room temp. and chilled. Cheers!